Maritime Museums

About the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort

Visit the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort for a taste of coastal cultures and maritime history.  Exhibits feature the state’s rich seafood industry, life-saving stations and lighthouses, and sailboats and motorboats. The Museum is the official repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground near Beaufort in 1718.

The waters off North Carolina's Outer Banks entomb thousands of vessels and countless mariners who lost a desperate struggle against the forces of war, piracy and nature. The Graveyard of the Atlantic, with one of the highest densities of shipwrecks in the world, holds some of America's most important maritime history. More than just a collection of artifacts, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is a premier cultural attraction for the Atlantic Seaboard and one of the finest, most innovative maritime facilities in the nation. All along the Outer Banks lie shipwrecks associated with this rich heritage, such as ...

The Ghost ship of Diamond Shoals
January 31, 1921, 6:30 a.m. - 
Surfman C.P. Brady of the Cape Hatteras Coast Guard Station scans the horizon in the first light of day with his spyglass. As daylight increases he is shocked to spot a five-mast schooner with all sails set riding a sandbar on Diamond Shoals. The sea was rough and the tide was strong. He put out a call for help...

To try your hand at solving one of history's greatest maritime mysteries, click in the spyglass view at left.

 

The association of the flag with the USS Monticello makes it of primary importance to the history of Hatteras and North Carolina.  The flag is 8 feet at the hoist and 12 feet on the fly and is in very fragile condition. It is estimated that it could cost in excess of $60,000 to preserve this one-of-a- kind Civil War Artifact.  We ask you to help the Museum to save this remarkable piece of history. Please donate now by clicking on the Donate Tab or contact the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum at (252) 986-2995 to make a donation towards the preservation of the Monticello flag. We thank you for your consideration and kind support!

Native America Museum

Frisco Native American Museum had it's beginning over seventy years ago in the heart of museum founder, Carl Bornfriend, when he was just a young boy. Carl has had an appreciation for Native American cultures from his earliest memory. At a time when many people did not realize the importance of preserving native artifacts, Carl frequently saw beautiful items carelessly treated or destroyed. Though his own resources were limited, he often made sacrifices to become a keeper of the heritage. 

When Carl moved to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and met Joyce, they discovered a mutual love for historical preservation. Married in 1986, they brought a more than a half century of experience as educators to the task of creating the museum

Teaching full time, Carl used every spare minute developing exhibits in the oldest section of the current facility, opening the museum in 1987 as a non-profit educational foundation with 501 (c) (3) status. The building, which is almost a hundred years old, has a rich history as a general store and gathering place, post office and shell shop. The low ceilinged, small rooms have slowly been transformed into delightful galleries. New additions to the facility have expanded both headroom and display space! 

For the first four years, Joyce and Carl continued to work full time as educators and opened the museum Friday through Sunday during the school year and seven days a week in the summer. Land for the nature trail was acquired in 1989, and a year later when Carl's health no longer permitted him to teach full time, the museum opened six days a week, year round. 

Visitors and friends who discovered the museum in 1987 have shared its remarkable growth. A new gift shop was opened in 1989, and the old gift shop became display space. In 1991, a spacious pavilion was constructed on the nature trail, and in 1992, Hurricane Emily brought more than three feet of water through the facility. Recovery from Emily was challenging, but in 1995, a two story addition was built, providing a research facility, preparation areas, expanded storage space and the opportunity to convert the old gift shop into a natural history center!
 
In 2005, the museum underwent another major renovation, relocating the gift shop, creating a small book store,  and adding more than a thousand square feet of new display room. A small observation room overlooking the bird yard was added to the Natural History Center, and a floating dock was constructed on the nature trail. 
 
In 2010, a section of the nature trail was "re-designed" to create a dance circle under the trees.   The new circle was created to debut with the 12th Annual Inter-Tribal Powwow, Journey Home,  and the 1st Annual Living History weekend, Dancing Moccasins.

Dolphin Watch

Join our research team on an unparalleled nature tour. You’ll see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and learn about their feeding and social behavior. You can observe the diverse and fascinating wildlife of the Outer Banks including Osprey, Pelicans and many others.

Throughout your trip, our expert naturalists will provide a fascinating and in-depth commentary on the local ecology and history of this unique area. And if you like, you can participate in the ongoing study of our “brothers of the sea.”

Dolphin & Nature Tours

Tour Overview

• See Atlantic bottlenose dolphins! Learn about their migratory patterns and social behavior
• Observe diverse and fascinating wildlife
• The only dolphin watch on the Outer Banks that participates in a long-term bottlenose dolphin research study
• Crewed exclusively by accredited marine biologists
• Dolphin identification information on board
• Kids participate in hands-on activities measuring environmental conditions of the sound
• For more information about the dolphin research program, click here

Your Tour Boat

40 ft. fast pontoon boat with full canopy, padded seats and a bathroom on board

Cool soft drinks, water, and snacks available on board or bring your own cooler

Trips Daily

Monday at 12pm and 3pm

Tuesday thru Friday at 9am, 12pm and 3pm

Saturday at 9am and 12pm

$29 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under

Call for reservations! (252) 449-8999 or contact Kitty Hawk Kites

The History Place

The Carteret County Historical Society is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization run by volunteers and one full-time paid staff member and one part-time staff member. The museum is free to the public. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday plus 1st Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  It's supported by donations, grants, fund-raisers and membership dues. The Historical Society publishes a history journal, "The Researcher" twice a year, a bi-monthly newsletter; "the History Place Newsletter", and various books related to Carteret County.

Our mission statement is: To foster and promote public knowledge of, and interest in, the history and culture of the peoples of Carteret County and related areas through the collection, preservation, interpretation, and documentation of written and tangible artifacts.  

New Bern Fireman Museum

The museums mission is to preserve the history of fire fighting in New Bern, which boasts the first chartered fire company in the state of North Carolina. In keeping with this tradition, the Museum is relocating to the original 1928 station that housed the fire department for 72 years.

Visit the New Bern Firemen's Museum for the history of the Atlantic Hook & Ladder Company and the New Bern Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 (which later became the Button Company). Experience the Great Fire of 1922 which burned over 1,000 homes, and left much of the city in ruin. Learn about New Bern's famous fire horse “Fred” and bring the kids (or an entire class of children) for an educational and fun day of learning what to do if there's a fire. People of all ages will appreciate the City’s firefighting history and will enjoy the interactive exhibits.

HOURS: Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Closed on Sundays*

ADMISSION: Adults: $5.00 - Children: $2.50 - Children under 6: FREE
*The Museum will be closed February 4, 2013 - March 3, 2013 and will reopen on March 4, 2013.

Fossil Museum

The latest addition to our museum is now open. Athough its use is primarily earmarked for classes and meetings, it contains some very interesting new displays. Our most recent acquisition is the large partial skeleton of a Yorkown whale. Check out the News page for photos and more information.

It's always a good day when the Pit of the Pungo gets new fossil dirt. The new fossil soils we received in May have dried out nicely and are prime for sifting. Some great micro fossils have been found, including cookie cutter and whale shark teeth.

The Aurora Fossil Museum, founded in 1976, is a non-profit fossil education resource center. Our museum’s mission is to increase knowledge of the geology and paleontology of the coastal plains of North Carolina. We accomplish this task through exhibits, outreach programs and field studies. Our own fossil pile, affectionately dubbed the 'Pit of the Pungo', is an unlimited source of Miocene age fossils donated by our local phosphate mine. In these fossil rich soils, one may find the remains of ancient sharks, whales, bony fish, corals, shells and other invertebrates. Our staff will willingly provide personal assistance and other resources to help you identify your finds. Bring a garden trowel or sifter and plastic bags, spend the day collecting with us, and take home a piece of the past.

The museum has a wide variety of Pleistocene, Pliocene and Miocene marine fossils on display. Most displays feature specimens collected from the local PotashCorp mine (formerly referred to as Lee Creek). This famous mine has been called the most important source of Pliocene and Miocene fossils in the world.

ANTEBELLUM HOUSE

One of the largest antebellum plantation houses in North Carolina, recently restored Buckner Hill House (1855), still surrounded by hundreds of acres of  cotton corn tobacco and cattle,  provides a  rare view of original, mostly  undisturbed Greek Revival plantation architecture.  Built by highly skilled African-American labor for the Hill family on the site of their  previous plantation house (c.1700s), Buckner Hill House also has Italianate features and an unusual cruciform floor plan with wide halls on both floors crossing in  the center of the house. A wealthy physician and landowner, Dr. Buckner Lanier Hill, began the project  in the 1850s. The house has undergone very few modifications in its 150 year history. Original marbleizing, mahogany and rosewood graining, and all of the ornate plaster cornices in the house survive. The frame structure is constructed of centuries-old heart pine from the virgin forests of the New World. Much of the wood for the 1855 house was recycled for use from the previous dwelling, built in the 1700s. The house appears in North Carolina Architecture, which notes "when the wide double doors on all four sides of the house are thrown open, the broad passages that meet at the center of the dwelling become a vast  interior porch." This area was also used by the family as a ballroom. In June, 2001, filming of a major motion picture concluded at the house. It was used as the set for the Walker family home in the film version of Rebecca Wells' national bestseller "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" (released in 2002). Appointments are required: phone 910-293-3001. Select links on the left of this screen for directions and a map.

USS NC BATTLESHIP

Moored in quiet dignity and majesty the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, across the river from downtown Wilmington, beckons visitors to walk her decks. Envision the daily life and fierce combat her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.

From all across our Nation they came, young men who had grown up in the crucible of the Great Depression and now determined to serve their Country in its time of need. These are the men whose stories you will encounter through their oral histories, photographs, and mementos as you experience the Ship and the exhibits.

Step back in time and let history come alive through the crews’ stories. Discover and build your personal connection by steering the ship, starting her engines or even firing the guns. The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA It's Your Experience.

The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is asking for your stories and experience from her travels to her current berth 50 years ago .  See more information here.

Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

With the romance and mystique of an era gone by, guests on board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will enjoy year-round scenic train journeys across fertile valleys, through tunnels and across river gorges in a spectacular region of eastern America called the Great Smoky Mountains.

Wild Horse Adventure Tours

Find the Outer Banks Wild Corolla Spanish Mustang Horses and discover some of the most unique sights OBX has to offer with our air-conditioned Excursions or open-air tours. Our friendly and knowledgeable guides take you onto the pristine northern beaches - accessible only with a 4x4 off-road vehicle. We guarantee to find you the Corolla Wild Horses or your money back!

Ricks Jeep Adventures

We offer Jeep Rentals to see the Outer Banks Wild Horses. Your off-road Jeep adventure lasts a little over 2 hours. The Jeep tour will take you across the pristine 4x4 beaches. Because our Jeep Rentals are "self driven" but "fully guided" we can offer a full money-back guarantee to find the horses. Rent from the best and all you need to do is enjoy your ride!